


The Mermaid and the Fool

by cymrymira



Series: Steam and Magic [1]
Category: Fairy Tales - Fandom, Original Work, hans christian anderson - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 06:54:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cymrymira/pseuds/cymrymira
Summary: Once upon a time...An original work by me where I work on a steampunk world inhabited by fairy tales and a few things that go bump in the night.





	The Mermaid and the Fool

**_Once upon a time…_ ** ****_  
_  
_A little mermaid made a deal with a sea witch, for the ability to walk on land and marvel in the wonders of this world._  
  
_She paid a hefty price, that of her voice, and every step she took was knives stabbing at her feet, every breath was fire in her newly grown lungs. She was told that if she did not marry her chosen prince, that she would die and become seafoam, but if she managed to ensnare him, she would gain her own immortal soul._  
  
_But more than the Prince that she saved from drowning, the mermaid loved the world above the water and the sun that she had once fashioned an undersea garden after. Hers was a cruel fate, as the prince thought her a curious thing and thought of her as a child. He happened upon her on the beach, just as the Sea Witch had planned, and took her home as a foundling, a strange catch from the ocean. And to he and his people, she was an innocent in all ways of their world. She would place bright red and yellow wildflowers as decorations in her hair, and she would sit at the aquarium in the great hall and seemingly listen to the fish. Her walking was halted, as if it hurt her, and when the Minister asked her to dance for the Prince, neither official noticed the tears in her eyes as they raved over how graceful she was. When laid out in the sun, marveling at the warmth and the color, the courtiers whispered what a pitiful child, to bring her to this state, and many wondered at where she had come from and how lucky she was that the Prince had rescued such a poor traumatized dear._

 _She was loved by the people there. But loved as one would love a favorite kitten. She was a pet that did not have a place there, and she never realized this as she explored all there was to see and do. Excitement over the new world had caused all her doubts to flee, though in the back of her mind gnawed a bit of self-doubt, a realization that she had yet to make._  
  
_He thought her his special prize catch from the sea, he said as much to the other royals, and when he went to marry the princess of the neighboring kingdom, he took her with him to show off to the nobles there, not thinking she minded his indulgences, after all, she was a silly little mute._  
_  
She thought herself in love with him, never seeing his tiny cruelties for what they were at her young and inexperienced age, never hearing the jeers behind her back that he instigated, or seeing the laughter at her tears when she was made to dance, until one day, it all flooded in her in a great wave, and she started to see the cruelties and arrogance for what it actually was._

 _Yet… she still loved the Prince she had once saved… didn’t she?_  
  
_He and the Princess married on the ship, and she was heartbroken, and cried to the sea, where her sisters called to her, giving her a special knife, saying that she could return to them. Telling them that they had sold her hair for this chance to save herself._  
  
_All she had to do was kill the Prince and his bride, and their blood would return her tail and gills. Or kill herself and become foam... Either way, she would return to the sea. Either way, she or the Prince must die before sunrise. That was what her fate was, that was how her story ended._  
  
_She quietly snuck into the bed chamber, and for a long moment, stared at the two._  
  
_Then turned away, crying silent tears._  
  
_She thought she knew what love was._  
_  
She thought she knew what it was she wanted. Yet as cruel as the Prince was, she could not bring herself to take his life. That would be an even crueler thing. He simply could not… would not understand her._

_Was there any in the world that would? The Sea Witch had said her Chosen Prince… had she chosen wrong?_

_The Little Mermaid knew that the sun was rising, she felt the heat and comfort of her once favorite thing, the reason she had come above the water to see the wonders that it shone upon._

_It was a bitter feeling, and one that made her resolute. She would return to the sea as her sisters wanted, even if it was as mere seafoam._

_That was her story. The bargain she had made with the Sea Witch._  
  
_She stared out at the sea and raised the knife, bringing it to her own heart._  
  
_It was stopped by a gentle hand, connected to a man with a hard but kind face, a noble from the country of the Princess._  
  
_And that is how this faerie tale begins…_  
  
It was chaos in the ballroom, a cacophony of voices yelling and screaming at each other, a few pleading with others to remain calm, more accusing each other of the crime at hand.  
  
Only two were quiet, the one examining the scene of the crime, the other watching over her.  
  
Steadily she stood, smoothed out her dark clothing and then turned, making a slow pained approach to the stage at the center of the room, her cane making slight tapping sounds that distracted the others enough so that by the time she was ready to face them, the room was silent.  
  
At first they stared at her, the tall and thin woman with pale skin that looked as if it never saw the sun and jet black hair stuck in a plain bun, no adornaments on her dark high necked dress, no rings on her darkly gloved fingers, and she leaned on her cane and stared at them with serious deep blue eyes behind dark glasses, then took out a piece of parchment and a quill from her vest, writing at length as everyone stared at her, then held up the paper.  
  
Her companion, a sunny woman with darkly tanned skin and dressed so brightly and wildly that with the golden hair that she tied loosely back from her face, seemed almost a fire spirit, ran forward, snatched the message from her hands with a grin, then ran to the policeman in the room.  
  
The crowd turned to him.  
  
He blushed, coughing as he read, "The Lady Cordelia Fairchylde," he nodded to the woman, "Wishes us to know that the murder that occured tonight is the result of..." he frowned, "poison. A slow one given to him over time with the catalyst being given just a few moments before his death, the one who committed this crime was..." he paused and looked over to him, "Lord Flaughan, the boy's uncle."  
  
The crowd then turned to the rather large man that was the host of today's gala, and no one dared to speak.  
  
Except for the sunny companion that whistled, "Hey! That's pretty rotten," she grinned, "Knowing he was sick and inviting him for a bit of air and excitement, then killing him to get the family fortune," she looked back at Cordelia, "That's what happened right? The evidence is all on Lord William's body, huh?"  
  
She said nothing, just gave the slightest of nods.  
  
"Lies! Slander!" Lord Flaughan shouted, "I loved the boy like a son! It's not his fault that Father looked over me because Sister was his favorite! It's not William's fault he was wasting away! I just helped him! I didn't kill him!" he stepped towards Cordelia, who remained silent, "I know who you are! The witch that the Fairchylde estate took in! Why don't you speak, instead of using the bastard daughter!" he pointed to the woman, "She stole everything from you! Don't you see why I had to do it?"  
  
The grin never left the sunny one's face, and Lord Flaughan turned back to Cordelia, who still said nothing.  
  
"Why leave the company to a half-wit!? I had to secure our holdings!" in his anger, he seemed to miss the fact that he had confessed, and the police started to move in on him, grabbing him just before he reached out to take hold of Cordelia's neck.  
  
She still did not react, watching him from behind her glasses as he was carried away and the ballroom emptied.  
  
Her sunny companion was still grinning as she scooped her up, "Let's get you home milady!" she said cheerfully, "Did you know there was gonna be a murder? I was actually hopin' you'd have some fun for once!"  
  
It was brief, but there was a smile, and she wrapped her arms around her companion's shoulders as the other picked up her cane, "Can't idiots see that you never stole anything from me," she continued as she carried her outside to the carriage, "I never wanted that stupid title and name, far too restricting," she placed her on the driver's seat next to her, "Come to think of it, you don't want it either, best leave it to my overly good half brother, he's boring enough to want to stay in one place, you and me, we got adventure to go on, right?" she winked at her before hopping up to sit next to her and taking the reins, snapped at the horses.  
  
After a few moments, she glanced at her mistress with wide eyes, "Wait... you made a big show out of that to show Father you can handle us being on our own huh?"  
  
She smirked, not saying a word, and she chuckled, "Milady! You pulled a fast one even on me! Father has to let us go make our way now! He can't even use your body as an excuse, everyone there saw you walking with the cane..." her face fell, "Your feet must be killing you, I'll get the bath running as soon as we get home."  
  
Nothing more was said as she steered the carriage to the northwest, to a quiet manor and village nestled in the forest overlooking the city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cordelia, it's a beautiful morning!"

She winced as sunlight hit her face and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking out the large window that the sunny woman was pulling the thick curtains from.

The gardens were right outside, she had been given a room on the ground floor that had an entrance into one that was made just for her, and every morning, great pains were taken to show her the most of what each season had to offer. In winter, there was frost and berries for the birds, in spring and summer, blossoms and greens, and in autumn, so many golds and reds that it made her think the sun had come to earth.

"Father wants to speak to you at breakfast," her companion said in her cheerful tones, "I think your plan worked!" she went to the bed and bent down to pick her up, "Come on, I'll..." she stared as she picked up her cane instead and rose, "But your feet..."

She patted her head and smiled, wincing as she went to the bathroom also adjourning her room, "At least use the wheelchair!" she snapped, crossing his arms, "Milady, you proved your point!"

She gave her a look and pointed at her bedside table at the note there, and then slowly finished going into the next room, thankfully not locking the door behind her.

The Bastard sighed, at least she wasn't being foolish in her stubbornness and picked up the letter, "I need to show Father that I am capable, in case something should happen to you. Therefore, no carrying me until he not only approves the trip, but also has seen us onto the airship..." her voice trailed off, "Milady, that could be months!"

Taps answered that, and then the sound of running water, and she sighed in defeat, going to lay out Milady's clothing for today.

"At least lean on me a little Milady," she said cheerfully, "You wouldn't let a talented servant go to waste would you."

More taps in their code, W.H.Y. W.O.U.L.D. I.?

Her smile turned much softer, "Good. I was worried you'd leave me alone."

D.O.N.T. B.E. S.T.U.P.I.D.

"Then Milady loves me?"

No taps answered that, and she chuckled, she was ignoring the question then.

But she couldn't blame her, that question was a rather loaded one around this estate.

The Lady Cordelia was not the only one that the elder Duke Fairchylde had brought home, there was also a small girl his legal son found nearly completely frozen one night, next to a burnt box of matches, a boy and girl, found in the forest, nearly starved and frightened out of their minds, both crying of a house made of food, a youth that wove poetry and medicine like tapestries, a beautiful woman that was rumored to be the bastard daughter's mother, who vanished in the middle of the night once.

She had asked the Lord about it... her father only looked out the window and sadly claimed that he could no longer keep her from her home.

Cordelia had snorted when she told her about it, tapping out that love was not what anyone thought it was. And too late does anyone figure it out.

Softly she tapped that she was sad that the woman didn't stay for her sake.

She had shrugged, saying that her father married a rather well choice after, her half-brother's mother was still very much alive, though she had a worrisome cough, and just as bad as taking in strays as her husband was.

Granted, hers tended to be more animalistic. The estate was a zoo half the time.

Cordelia had laughed at that, a pretty one that sounded like the chiming of bells and always made her wonder what her voice once sounded like before she traded it for legs.

It was one of those midnight conversations that made her decide that somehow, she would find a way to buy it back from that witch.

It was because of this she suggested, hesitantly to her at first, that they go on travels, have an adventure rather than be cooped up in this manor.

She didn't expect Cordelia to jump on it so heartedly.

_But then... Milady had traded her voice to see the world above the surface in the first place... perhaps it wasn't that great a surprise._


End file.
